The present invention is directed to a device for flying an aircraft and, in particular, to a flight control device that can be removably installed in a cockpit of the aircraft in order to fly the aircraft throughout a full flight envelope without pilot intervention.
Aircraft autopilot systems are employed to take over flight operations from a pilot while an aircraft is airborne. Autopilot systems generally are installed in an aircraft during manufacture of the aircraft and are designed and programmed to work within the specifications of the particular aircraft into which the autopilot system has been installed. The majority of these autopilot systems have a low bandwidth of operations, providing only the ability to control flight operations while airborne but not during take-off or landing. For legacy aircraft that do not have autopilot systems installed, the costs for upgrading the aircraft by installing an autopilot system can be prohibitive. There is a need for an autopilot system that can be installed in a variety of aircraft in order to fly the aircraft with or without a human pilot on board.